The End of Barbary Terror: America's 1815 War against the Pirates of North AfricaWhen Barbary pirates captured an obscure Yankee sailing brig off the coast of North Africa in 1812, enslaving eleven American sailors, President James Madison sent the largest American naval force ever gathered to that time, led by the heroic Commodore Stephen Decatur, to end Barbary terror once and for all. Drawing upon numerous ship logs, journals, love letters, and government documents, Frederick C. Leiner paints a vivid picture of the world of naval officers and diplomats in the early nineteenth century, as he recreates a remarkable and little known episode from the early American republic. Leiner first describes Madison's initial efforts at diplomacy, sending Mordecai Noah to negotiate. But when the ruler refused to ransom the Americans--"not for two millions of dollars"--Madison declared war and sent a fleet to North Africa. Decatur's squadron dealt quick blows to the Barbary navy, dramatically fighting and capturing two ships. Decatur then sailed to Algiers. He refused to go ashore to negotiate--indeed, he refused to negotiate on any essential point. The ruler of Algiers signed the treaty--in Decatur's words, "dictated at the mouths of our cannon"--in twenty-four hours. The United States would never pay tribute to the Barbary world again, and the captive Americans were set free. Here then is a real-life naval adventure that will thrill fans of Patrick O'Brian, a story of Islamic terrorism, white slavery, poison gas, diplomatic intrigue, and battles with pirates on the high seas. |
Contents
1 | |
The Odyssey of the Edwin | 5 |
At War with Algiers | 39 |
Fitting Out the Squadrons | 53 |
Mediterranean Triumph | 87 |
Unfinished Business | 123 |
The Return | 141 |
The British Bombardment and an Occular Demonstration | 151 |
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aboard Adams Algerine Ameri American April arrived ashore Bainbridge Bainbridge’s bashaw batteries battle blockade bomb vessels brig Britain British cannon captives captured Causten Christian slaves Collection 1172 command Commodore Constellation consul corsairs crew Crowninshield Decatur and Shaler Decatur’s squadron dey of Algiers dey’s Diary diplomatic Edwin enemy Epervier Estedio Exmouth Family Papers fight fire flag fleet force frigate Gibraltar Gordon Guerriere guns harbor Historical Society Islamic James Monroe janissaries Jews July June Keene Lear Letters to Officers Lewis’s lieutenant Lord Lord Exmouth Macedonian Madison marines Mediterranean Meshuda Midshipman minister Monroe Monroe’s nations naval negotiations Niles Noah Noah’s Norderling Omar ordered peace President prize ransom Royal Navy sail sailors seamen secretary sent ship-of-the-line slavery Society of Pennsylvania Spanish Stephen Decatur Susan Decatur tion Tobias Lear Torch trade treaty tribute Tripoli Tunis U.S. Navy United warships Washington William Bainbridge William Shaler Papers wrote York